All-Natural Chicken Pot Pie

"I whipped up this chicken pot pie on a weekend when the temperature dropped to the 20's (F) and we were craving comfort food. This can easily be prepared ahead of time and assembled just prior to baking. Note that fresh herbs should be used wherever possible. When fresh is not possible, high quality dried herbs are acceptable. Don't use the ones you've had in the back of the cupboard for 5 years. The flavor won't be the same. For extra flavor, grind cinnamon sticks and whole nutmeg in a spice grinder."

Directions

Sift the 3 cups flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl. Cut the vegetable shortening and cold butter into the flour mixture with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some chunks the size of peas. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the flour mixture is moistened. Work the dough as little as possible; this is the key to a super light and flaky crust. After half the water has been incorporated, watch closely, as mixture will come together suddenly. Once it begins to stick together, gather into a ball, divide into halves, and roll each ball out to 1/4-inch thickness, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Press one of the dough portions into the prepared casserole dish, covering bottom and sides completely.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts in the hot skillet until evenly browned on both sides; cut into small cubes and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Cook the carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, and about half the diced onion in the drippings from the chicken until the carrots soften; add to the bowl with the chicken.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the water to the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; pour into a cup and set aside.

Melt the butter in the skillet. Cook and stir the remaining onion and the garlic in the melted butter until the onions begin to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the onion mixture and stir to evenly coat. Pour the reserved liquid over the onion mixture. Stir the chicken base, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme into the mixture. Cook and stir until the mixture has reduced into a thick gravy; pour over the chicken mixture in the mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Pour the mixture over the crust in the casserole dish. Top with the remaining portion of dough and pinch the edges together to seal the edges. Cut a few slits into the top to vent.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and the gravy bubbles through the slits, about 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before serving, 10 to 15 minutes.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 19, 2012

I have used this recipe 8 times since the new year...
I have yet to make the crust- we'll see how that works out this evening!
The recipe is so simple which makes the pie all the more fun, as it offers the flexibility to switch things up according to taste. I, for example, use leaks plus shallots, and chicken broth instead of water and chicken base. Peas go in very last minute, so they still have a nice pop when eaten.

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 27, 2012

Good recipe...the crust gave me some trouble though, and in the end the cinnamon and nutmeg didn't taste right with the chicken and veggies. I made a couple other minor changes though, to fit my family's tastes...about half the onion and potatoes...and 1 1/2 Cups baby carrots chopped into thirds and 1 1/2 Cups celery. Didn't have sage, and used canned peas.
Aside from the crust though, we loved the finished product! My husband had multiple servings and was still raving about it the next morning.

This was SO good, I love that the recipe is made with all natural ingredients :). I did make some changes as follows:
1. I did not use a crust (so it was more like a casserole). Instead, I made the Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits from this site and served them on top of the pot pie. I also added some sage to the biscuits.
2. I used a whole pound of carrots, left out the celery (because I forgot to buy it), and used redskin potatoes (a whole bag) with their skins on.
3. I added a few dashes of cayenne pepper with the rest of the seasoning, to match the cayenne pepper in the biscuits.
4. I added 1/2C plain, nonfat Greek yogurt to the sauce, making it a little thicker and more creamy :)
I ended up filling a 9x13" glass dish to the very top, covering it with foil, and baking for 40 minutes.
The only reason I didn't give this recipe 5 stars is because the prep took me almost an hour. Maybe I'm just slow at prepping, but precooking the chicken and vegetables took at least half an hour, not to mention dicing and slicing everything.
Otherwise awesome. I will definitely make this again!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.